Improved pants hanger



Jan. 16, 1962 J. E. DZIENISIEWICZ 3,017,059

IMPROVED PANTS HANGER Filed May 19, 1959 m 0W E ms N NE I m E H D- E s OJ FIG 8 FIG? 3,017,059 HMIRGVED PANTS HANGER Joseph E. Dzienisiewiez,Lynwood, Calif, assiguor of onetenth to Gadgetif-The-ltionth Club, inc,North Hollywood, Calif a corporation of California Filed May 19, 1959,Ser. No. 814,349 3 Claims. (Cl. 223-91) The present invention consistsof an improved pants hanger adapted to controllably resiliently engageand retain a pair of cuffs at the bottom of a pair of pants with theremainder of the pants depending therefrom. It should also be noted thatthe improved pants hanger may be adapted to support more than one pairof pants in the manner just described, if desired. The invention may besaid to include a main body portion provided with upwardly directedengaging or hook means at the top thereof adapted to controllablyremovably engage an auxiliary transverse support member, such as aconventional closet clothes pole, or the like, whereby to controllablyremovably support the main body portion therebelow, with said main bodyportion being provided with controllably resiliently displaceableelastomeric cuff-engageable means (usually an encircling rubber band, orthe like) normally abutting a cuff-engageable surface of said main bodyportion, or two such cuff-engageable surfaces on opposite sides of saidmain body portion. It will be noted that the resiliently displaceableelastomeric cuffengageable means may be controllably forciblyresiliently deflected away from the normally abutted cuff-engageablesurface of the main body portion to facilitate the insertiontherebetween of cuff means of a pair of pants whereby to controllablyremovably support the plants in depending relationship therefrom whenthe cuff-engageable means is released and allowed to frictionally engagethe cuff means.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pantshanger of the character generally described above, wherein the main bodyportion is provided with two longitudinal normally horizontaly orientedtransversely outwardly open cuff-receiving recess means on op ositesurfaces of the main body portion and having the above-mentionedcuflF-engageable surfaces at the inner ends thereof. and wherein theabove-mentioned controllably resiliently displaceable elastomericcuff-engageeble means comprises an elastic band or strip encircling themain body portion from end to end in a normally horizontal directiontransverse to the upwardly projecting direction of the en aging or hookmeans at the top of the main body portion. with opposite portions ofsaid elastomeric cuff-enganeable strip or band being received within thecorresponding op osite cuff-receiving recess means and normally abuttingeach of said inner cuffengageable surfaces of each of said recess means.

It is a further object to provide an improved pants hanger of thecharacter set forth in the preceding object, wherein the elastomericcuff-enga eable means is provided with outwardly projecting digitallygraspable handle means to facilitate controllable forcible resilientdeflection outwardly of a portion of said cufi-engageable elastomericmeans outwardly from the normally abutted cuffengageable surface of themain body portion to facilitate Patented Jan. 16, E9S2 the insertiontherebetween of cuff means of a pair of pants.

It is a further object to provide an improved pants hanger of the typeset forth in any of the preceding objects, wherein said main bodyportion is provided adjacent the bottom thereof With one or a pluralityof beltreceiving slot-defining means.

It is a further object to provide an improved pants hanger of the typeset forth in any of the preceding objects, which is formed of integralmolded plastic material except for the elastomeric cuif-engageable meanswhich comprises an encircling elastomeric band or strip engaged with themain body portion subsequent to the molding thereof.

It is a further object to provide a device of thhe character set forthin any of the preceding objects, which is of extremely simple, cheap,foolproof construction such as to be conducive to widespread use of thedevice.

Further objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after acareful study hereof.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, threeexemplary embodiments are illustrated in the hereinbelow-describedfigures of the accompanying single sheet of drawings, and are describedin detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is a reduced-size perspective view of one exemplary form of theinvention shown in its normal position prior to being placed insupporting engagement with respect to the cuffs of a pair of pants.However, this view does show the device supporting a single belt.

FIG. 2 is a larger scale vertical sectional view taken in the directionof the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a smaller-scale end elevational view of the form of theinvention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 showin" it after it has beenengaged in supporting relationship with respect to the cuffs of a pairof pants. shown in broken lines for reasons of drawing clarity andsimplification. This view also shows the device supporting a belt.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of one surface of the improved hanger ofthe present invention showing it in engaged supporting relationship withrespect to the cuffs of a pair of pants, shown in fragmentary form.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of just the top portion of oneembodiment of the improved hanger of the present invention showing aslightly modified form of upwardly directed resilient engaging means atthe top of the main body portion and adapted to be resiliently engagedand disengaged with respect to an auxiliary transverse support member,such as the conventional closet clothes pole shown in cross section inthis view. It should be noted that this view actually shows theresilient engaging means in the process of being upwardly sna ped overthe clothes pole as a result of upward movement of the han er in thedirection of the arrow.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but shows the modified form ofengaging means after it has been upwardly snapped over the clothes polewhereby to effectively mount the main body portion.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIGS. 5 and 6 but shows another slightlymodified form of upwardly directed engaging means in closed positionsuch as it would normally assume before engagement with a clothes poleand after engagement with a clothes pole.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but shows this modification of theengaging means in the position which it normally assumes during theperiod when it is either being engaged with respect to a clothes pole ordisengaged therefrom.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. l4, theimproved hanger includes a main body portion, which takes one specificform, indicated generally at 16, wherein it is formed of substantiallyflat, thinsheet, normally vertically directed, molded plastic materialsubstantially centrally provided with upwardly directed engaging means,indicated generally at 11, at the top thereof adapted to controllablyremovably engage an auxiliary transverse support member, such as aconventional closet clothes pole of the type indicated at 12 in FIGS.and 6, whereby to controllably removably support the main body portion16 therebelow. In the specific example illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, saidupwardly directed engaging means 11 takes the form of a hook 13integrally formed out of the molded plastic thin-sheet ma.- terial ofwhich the entire main body portion 1%) is formed.

In the specific form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. l-4, the mainbody portion includes on each opposite surface 14 and 15 thereofcorresponding longitudinal normally horizontally oriented transverselyoutwardly open cuff-receiving recess means 16 and 17, respectively,defined by corresponding vertically spaced outwardly projecting ridges,indicated at 13 and 1?, respectively. In this specific embodiment of theinvention, a controllably resiliently displaceable elastomericcui'f-engageable strip or band, indicated generally at 2%, includes afirst portion 21 carried in the recess 16 and a second portion 22carried in the recess 17 and normally abutting, respectively, thecuff-engageable surfaces 23 and 24 at the inner ends of each of saidrecesses 16 and 17, respectively. This is clearly shown in both FIGS. 1and 2.

Also in the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS.l-4, each of the portions 21 and 22 of the elastomeric cuif-engageablestrip, indicated generally at 20, is provided with outwardly projectingdigitally graspable handle means 25 and 26, respectively, adapted toallow a user of the device to grasp either of the handle means 25 or 26and pull the corresponding portion 21 or 22 of a cuff-engageable stripoutwardly so that cuff means, indicated in broken lines at 27 in FIG. 4,of a pair of pants indicated in fragmentary form at 28 in FIG. 4, may beslipped under the corresponding portion 21 or 22 after which thecorresponding handle means or 26 may be released to allow theelastomeric band 29 to frictionally firmly hold the cuff means 27 so asto effectively support the pair of pants 28 in depending relationship,with respect to the improved pants hanger of the present invention, asis shown in broken lines in FIG. 3.

It should be noted that the recesses 16 and 17 act to effectivelymaintain the elastomeric band or strip 26 in the proper positionencircling the main body portion 10 at all times so that it cannotaccidentally become displaced or disengaged from the main body portion10 and possibly lost as a result thereof.

The specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 alsoincludes a plurality of belt-receiving slot-defining means 29, each ofwhich is adapted to receive a belt 30 therethrough with the buckleportion 31 thereof being too large to go through the slot 29, and thuseffectively mounting the belt 30 with respect to the main body portion1% of the improved hanger.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a slight modification of the invention, andsimilar parts will be indicated by similar reference numerals followedby the letter A. In this modification, the upwardly directed engagingmeans, indicated generally at 11A, at the top of the main body portion10A comprises a resilient spring loop 13A normally maintaining itself ina substantially closed position as shown in FIG. 6, but being capable ofbeing forcibly resiliently separated or open when either engaged ordisengaged with respect to a conventional closet clothes pole 12 in themanner shown in FIG. 5. It will be understood that after it is fullyengaged with the clothes pole 12 as a result of upward movement of thespring clip 13A in the manner shown in FIG. 5, it will assume it normalsubstantially closed configuration as shown in FIG. 6, effectivelymounting the main body portion 16A with respect to the clothes pole 12until a user of the device desires to release it from the pole 12, atwhich time it will be forcibly downwardly moved in a manner exactly theopposite of the upward engaging movement shown in FIG. 5. No furtherdescription of this modification is thought necessary.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a further modification of the upwardly directedengaging means, and corresponding parts in this modified form of theinvention are indicated by similar reference numerals, followed by theletter B.

In this modification, the upwardly directed engaging means 1113 con istsof a hook 133 having a movable closure portion 32 pivotally attached bypivot pin means 33 to the base portion of the hook 133, and also havingan actuating portion 34 and biasing spring means 35 connected betweensaid actuating portion 34 and the stem portion 36 of the hook 138whereby the closure portion 32 is normally resiliently biased into theclosed position shown in FIG. 7, but may be controllably moved into theopen position shown in FIG. 8 for engagement or disengagement withrespect to a closet clothes pole, or the like, of the type indicated at12 in FIGS. 5 and 6. No further description of this modification isthought necessary.

It shoud be noted that in certain forms of the invention the recessmeans, of the type indicated at 16 and 17 in the first form of theinvention illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, need not be defined by verticallyspaced ridges of the type shown at 18 and 19, but may comprise actualinwardly directed recesses extending from the flush outer oppositesurfaces of the main body portion 10, if desired.

Furthermore, it should be noted that in certain forms of the invention,the handle means 25 and 26 may be modified substantially or eliminatedentirely.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific descriptionthereof set forth in this application are for the purpose ofillustrating the present invention and are not to be construed aslimiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specificstructure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore.Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantiallyequivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventiveconcept of the present invention.

I claim:

1. An improved pants hanger adapted to controllably resiliently engageand retain a pair of cuffs at the bottom of a pair of pants, with theremainder of the pants depending therefrom, comprising: a main bodyportion of substantially flat thin-sheet normally vertically directedmaterial substantially centrally provided with upwardly directed hookmeans at the top thereof adapted to controllably removably engage anauxiliary transverse support rnembcr whereby to controllably removablysupport the main body portion therebelow, said main body portionincluding on each opposite surface thereof longitudinal normallyhorizontally oriented transversely outwardly open cuff-receiving recessmeans having a cuif-engageable surface at the inner end thereof, each ofsaid longitudinal cuff-receiving recess means carried by oppositesurfaces of said main body portion being provided with a controllablyresiliently displaceable portion of a continuous resilient elastomericcuff-engageable band means longitudinally encircling said main bodyportion and normally abutting each of said inner cuff-engageablesurfaces of each of said recess means.

2. A device of the character defined in claim 1, wherein saidelastomeric cuif-eng'ageable band means is provided with two oppositelyoutwardly projecting digitally graspable handle means adajcent oppositecuff-receiving recesses of said main body portion to facilitatecontrollable forcible resilient deflection of the portion of saidcuff-engageable elastomeric band means on either side of said main bodyportion outwardly from the normally abutted cutf-engageable surface atthe inner end of the corresponding cuff-receiving recess of said mainbody portion to facilitate the insertion therebetween of a pair of cuffsof a pair of pants whereby to support the pants in dependingrelationship therefrom upon release of said handle means.

3. A device of the character defined in claim 1, wherein said main bodyportion is provided adjacent the bottom thereof with a plurality ofbelt-receiving slot-defining means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

